Time-based media, such as video and motion graphics, can be effective ways to communicate a completed project. Sometimes called video essays, video case studies can be used for a variety of contexts, such as documenting the design process for a creative project to be included as part of a portfolio, sharing the workflow of product design to communicate services and features, and even as a required part of the application process when applying to art schools.
Strategies & Techniques
- Live-action video footage(designer as the subject, documentary-style interviews, behind-the-scenes footage of the design process, the designer behind the computer, the designer holding the final product, etc.)
- Voice Narration (telling the story orally via voice-over recording)
- Tiles (main titles, sub-titles, interstitials, kinetic typography, etc. for structure and storytelling)
- Screen-recordings(mouse/cursor movements as behind-the-scenes footage of the design process)
- Still images (e.g. cut quickly one-after-another, or with a slow zoom/scale effect, or with a ken-burns effect of scaling/zooming to show detailed views of the still imagery)
- Custom Illustrations and motion graphics (e.g. animated visuals to help illustrate the design process, such as an animated timeline)
- On-screen Text and Slide-decks(telling the story via text/copy as a series of slides)
- Text as content, not as a title/sub-title (e.g. “problem” or “challenge” or “solution”)
- Text + Imagery (to communicate still images and key concepts)
- Before/After Images (e.g. animated swipes for a visual comparison, to show time, progress, and contrast between the original problem and the final solution)
- Animated Mockups (e.g. screen recording of a website scrolling, or app screens animating, or product design in action)
- A “Reveal” (e.g. time-based rendering of the final product starting with nothing and gradually adding in all elements)